New Blacktop and Memories from Oglesby

The City of Memphis did a wonderful thing recently, one of the few things for which I have to give them kudos. They constructed a new addition to the Greenway, which my family and I love to ride our bikes on when the weather and our schedules cooperate. This new addition supposedly stretches from Germantown to Midtown Memphis, which is quite a haul. It backs up to our house, a mere 4 blocks away, so you know we have to take advantage of it!

Steve and I had ridden the trail a few nights ago, and I was really pooped from a long day of studying. (Funny how using your brainpower really CAN wear you out!) We rode, but not as far as I wanted to, because I wanted to make sure I could make it back. I wanted to go out riding yesterday and no one would go with me. So today, faced with the same situation and beautiful temperatures outside, I went alone.

But I wasn't alone. Even though the trail is not "officially" open until construction is complete, it was riddled with bikers, runners, walkers, and occasionally a biker who toted a double stroller on the back of his bike. I smiled as I passed them, gave them a chipper "Good Morning!" and kept going. Alone with my thoughts, as I smelled the new tar laid on the asphalt, it brought me back to when my birth family and I lived on Oglesby Avenue in Calumet City, Illinois, in a much simpler time.

It was a lone block of starter homes, all of them with 3 bedrooms, one bath, living room, kitchen and a basement. Everyone knew all their neighbors, and even if you didn't quite see eye to eye, you still lived together in relative peace and harmony. I loved living there, with the trees in the front and back yards and nothing but prairie behind our backyard. We spent many a day running and playing in the prairie, but one of our greatest joys was riding our bikes up and down Oglesby (and occasionally to a different street). My mother always had a fit when she found out that I would venture off Oglesby and go to visit my cousins on Bensley or my great aunt Evelyn on Clyde. We would also visit what we called "The Little Store", which was about 5 or 6 blocks away from home, and mostly we went there to turn in pop bottles for the 2 cents we would receive. We never brought home the money, but spent it on penny candy or a new bottle of pop, should we have returned enough bottles to get a free one! I loved those days of freedom. When I rode my bike, I felt like I could fly!

I didn't always have a bike. I wanted one, but my parents said I had to learn to ride before they would get me one. HUH? Let me get this straight... I have to learn to ride a bike which I don't have before you will get me a bike to ride??? My parents were not known for their logic. Anyway, a kind neighbor let me use her bike to learn on (thank you Tammy!) and learn I did! I showed my parents one day and then the next Christmas, Santa Claus brought me a brand new sparkling teal bike! How did he know? *wink* Anyway, I rode that bike whenever I had the chance. I rode it everywhere except school, which was a lot farther away than The Little Store.

One day, we found out that the village was blacktopping an extension of Oglesby, which would take you from Dolton Road/State Street to Sibley Boulevard. Our block would be extended by two whole blocks! It seemed like the world to me, and my brother Wayne pledged to ride that blacktop until he had put 5 miles on it. Well, I don't know if he actually counted the blocks he rode, but I know that the new blacktop had bikes on it all the time. In those days, there was no such thing as a 10-speed or God-forbid, a 16-speed. You had several speeds to choose from, and you got to them by pedaling faster and faster. All bikes were the same except the boys had a bar across theirs and the girls didn't, which makes absolutely no sense at all considering the boys have body parts that can be easily damaged by coming in contact with that crossbar. But I digress. I rode and rode my bike up and down that blacktop, and think it's a shame that this younger generation doesn't know the freedom that we had in those days.

As I took this trip down memory lane this morning, I realized my legs were getting a bit tired and wondered about how far I had gone. I went past the Wolf River, past I-240 and under another viaduct, which I think was White Station Road. I went a bit further, which I estimated to be around Mendenhall. When I added it all up, it came to about 5 miles one way and 5 miles back. I was gone for an hour and burned 931 desperately needed calories, but I didn't notice on the trail. All I noticed was the sun, the wind, the quiet and the green around me. Yes, life can be good! And somewhere in the other realm, Wayne is smiling.

Nazdrowie'

Paczki Puta

One Week Down

Last night I completed my first week at college! Wow... I didn't know exactly how crazy I was for taking on so many class hours this semester. I am taking a total of 17 hours, in order to complete my bachelors degree in 3 years. To all the naysayers... Oh YES I CAN! I'm on top of my work and have another 3 days off this weekend to get ahead. I've got it all planned out, and barring any complications, I should be ahead of the game all semester.

I decided to take a concentration of Physics, Anatomy & Physiology, Medical Terminology, Psychology and English Composition. Next semester, I'm going with A&P II, English Comp II, History, Music Appreciation and... and... um... I don't know what else! OH! College Algebra! If I make it through this semester, I'll take another 17 hours next semester and that will give me 34 hours at the end of my first year instead of 27, and that cuts out almost an entire semester of classes after completion of my AAS.

In case anyone is wondering, I'm going into Physical Therapy. Do I think I can do it? Hell, YEAH! I do! I'm juggling a lot right now... college, home, taking care of my health and hopefully work if I can get a decent part-time gig at a PT clinic. If I can't get a paying gig, I'll do a little volunteer work to get my name in the mix. But yes, I can! I'm doing it. Gonna fly now! Flying high now! I'm a Pluskota. I'm a scrapper!

Nazdrowie'

Paczki Puta